Whether it is hiking on the weekends, diving into a favorite book at a cafe, or visiting a favorite sandwich shop, imagine receiving deals for simply having fun. With Kick-it Points, users are rewarded for simply kickin’ it.
Less than a year ago, Cal Poly alumnus Brett Foreman founded Kick-it Points, a mobile app that rewards users with deals to local businesses for being “real-world social.”
Foreman wanted his app to be a “hands-off type app” that would promote a real-world community instead of a digital one. Kick-it Points simultaneously builds a community around the Cal Poly campus while helping students save money.
Foreman said he was inspired by his and his friends’ active lifestyles to create the app. As a Cal Poly soccer player living with many of his teammates, Foreman had an active college life.
“A lot of the time when we did various things together, we’d follow it up with a bite to eat and just do what college kids do,” Foreman said.
When he saw this recurring trend of eating out and catching up, he thought it would be useful to create a tool that supported many college student’s interests similar to his own.
Computer engineering sophomore John Waidhofer said he is excited about the community-based nature of the app as well. Waidhofer worked on software development for the app this past summer. When first introduced to Foreman’s ideas for the app, he said Foreman “had a formula for Kick-it Points that really drew [him].”
That formula led to a straightforward, user-friendly application with a three-step process: To earn points, the user must visit a specific real-world business, also known as a “Kick-it Point.” Once there, the user must claim the location’s deal with the click of a button. Then, the user can redeem the deal at that Kick-it Point’s partnered merchant.
With many active merchants fairly close in proximity, San Luis Obispo’s map is filled with deals in Kick-it Points, making it quick and easy to redeem points through the app. Merchants include Bliss Cafe, Woodstock Pizza, Mother’s Tavern and many more. While the app is mainly based in San Luis Obispo, Foreman has plans to expand the app to more college campuses.
Whether a Mustang new or old, or just a San Luis Obispo local, Kick-it Points can be used by people of all ages.
“Anyone can really use it, and it’s completely free,” Waidhofer said.
Art and Design senior Taylor Becknell has been a fan of Kick-it Points since it first launched.
“I like it because it shows me new places around [San Luis Obispo], and discounts are always awesome,” Becknell said.
Kick-it Points offer not only valuable ways to save, but also an incentive for people to engage with others and the community on the Central Coast.